Giants win National League West for second time in three years

My story for the early editions of the paper. Much more to come. For now, here’s your first report on the 2012 National League West champions.

They came together despite crushing injuries and unexpected slumps. They stayed together through a spending spree by their closest rivals and a suspension that rocked baseball but only furthered the resolve within the clubhouse.

On Saturday, the Giants finally got to celebrate together.

An 8-4 victory over the San Diego Padres clinched the organization’s second National League West title in three years and set off a wild celebration for a Giants team that brought in plenty of new faces this season but again found the right mix.
“To be successful in this game, it takes a lot of people,” catcher Buster Posey said. “This team is a great example of a lot of different guys getting it done on different nights.”

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The Giants trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by 7 ½ games on May 28, but slowly chipped away. When their eighth National League West title came into view, the Giants started firing on all cylinders. With manager Bruce Bochy preaching the need to “take care of business every day,” the Giants won six straight this week to clinch the West, improving to 43-23 since the All-Star break.

That second-half stretch included one attention-getting Dodgers deal after another, but the Giants never looked south. Instead, they quietly pulled away with a lineup that gets contributions from top to bottom, and always followed the lead of Posey, a leading MVP candidate who only increased his production after Melky Cabrera was suspended.

It was one thing for the Giants to state that they would move on when the All-Star Game MVP was banned for 50 games on August 15 for use of a banned substance. It was quite another for them to actually do it.

A revolving cast of stars did so on a nightly basis. Saturday’s key contributors included Marco Scutaro, a trade deadline pickup who drove in three runs, young first baseman Brandon Belt (homer, three runs), and even pitcher Madison Bumgarner, who delivered an RBI single in the second inning.

The Giants now head back to the postseason, where a stellar pitching staff led them to the 2010 World Series title. Closer Brian Wilson recorded the final out of that run but pitched just two innings this season before having season-ending Tommy John surgery.

As they did in replacing Cabrera’s production, the Giants made up for Wilson’s loss with widespread contributions. Five different players have multiple saves, and five relievers got the Giants through the final 3 1/3 innings on Saturday. Sergio Romo got Mark Kotsay to fly out to center to end the game.

All season long, the bullpen has backed a starting staff that weathered a stunning slump by Tim Lincecum that nearly cost the two-time Cy Young Award winner his spot in the rotation. Lincecum had a 6.42 ERA in the first half but was picked up by Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong, Barry Zito and Bumgarner, the junior member of the rotation who gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings on Saturday.

These days, it’s Lincecum who is often picking up the rest of the staff.

“The key is there isn’t a selfish person in this clubhouse, there are no hidden agendas or intentions,” Romo said. “We understand how good we are if we play together and it’s been fun to watch. I watch my teammates and I feel like a fan, just sitting there and appreciating what they do.”

The clinching victory gave the Giants a season-high 11-game lead in the division, and was their third consecutive division-clinching win that came against the Padres, Bochy’s previous team.

Bochy has remained patient throughout the season, especially in the down times, of which there were plenty. Bochy insisted that his team was better than it was showing, and as the intensity picked up down the stretch, Bochy slowed things down, meticulously managing every game as if the Giants were playing Game 7 of the World Series.

Bochy’s players made his job a bit easier Saturday night. Sacrifice flies by Posey and Hunter Pence scored two runs in the first inning and Bumgarner drove Belt in an inning later. Belt and shortstop Brandon Crawford reached base to lead off the fourth inning and Scutaro’s two-out, two-run single gave the Giants a 5-1 lead.

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Yonder Alonso’s two-run homer cut the lead to two in the top of the sixth, but Aubrey Huff got the Giants going in the bottom of the inning. Huff has three stints on the disabled list this season, but drew a two-out walk before giving way to pinch runner Francisco Peguero, a rookie without a Major League hit. Peguero stole second, took third on Pagan’s infield single and scored when a pickoff throw got away. Scutaro followed with a single to score Pagan and give the Giants a 7-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The Giants improved to 25-9 since Cabrera’s suspension and 15-5 in September.

“September is always a tough time to play well and these guys have done that,” Bochy said. “They came out ready to go every single day. That’s who we are. You can’t drop your guard. Every game is important until you get it done.”

Alex Pavlovic

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Operation Clinch Now: Accomplished
Operation Rest Later: Now Under Way

Go Giants!

robles5

The SFC aint no joke..

phil

First

stickman

YES! This one’s in the bag. Seems like lately the Giants can do nothing wrong. This is not merely a good team, it’s a great one. Lineup can score runs from any location. Defense sparkles and occasionally is sterling. Rotation is now firing on all five cylinders. Bochy is playing that bullpen like a maestro on a Stradivarius. What’s not to like?

The Halloween Machine is primed, pumped, freshly oiled and lubed, full tank of fuel and ready to roll into a black and orange October.

Go Giants!

Jstreet

Congratulations Giants! And now the work gets a little more intense… good Luck and go get ‘em!

It’s a great time to be a Giants and 49ers Fan. Hopefully the Warriors can step up and raise their game, they seem on the right path.

al oha

Bill Laskey is a classic, in his leather jacket and tie.

Shawn Estes is free to leave anytime.

Shannon

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shannon

Is it weird that I haven’t seen Timmy in the celebrations???

Stewie

WHOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Atlas

Shannon says:
September 22nd, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Is it weird that I haven’t seen Timmy in the celebrations???

———

I noticed that too! Hm.

mitchvman

Where’s Timmy?

He’s MIA

http://www.thewisdomcow.blogspot.com The Wisdom Cow

Gangnam Style!

Foothills Ryan

Great job Giants. Winning the division doesn’t happen every year.

Great team. Great organization. Great fans.

The die hard fan-base of this team is phenomenal. I’m just a commenter on a blog – the real fans are living it up, but I’ve celebrated with some cider!

Moratorium on all things negative. No more trades – no more fat comments …

It is all good. This team is clique-ing. And the pique lies ahead.

avwh

A sign at the ballpark tonight I loved: “Together…NOBODY has it better than us!” with both the Giants & 49er logos.

I’m so proud of this team as a fan – overcoming losing a closer, a batting title contender, their biggest power source for two DL stints, and their best starting pitcher for half a season was the worst in the league.

Sabean & Bochy were miracle workers, and guys like Scutaro, Posey, Pagan, and the whole bullpen closer-by-committee came through.

MissingTimmy

Where is Timmy????

http://www.thewisdomcow.blogspot.com The Wisdom Cow

I’m thinking Tim may be under the weather in his hotel room. You know, like the All Star Game last year.

http://www.doolittlecruising.blogspot.com MoDoo

This makes me want to drink champagne…and I hate champagne!

Congrats Giants!! They are playing great ball right now. Have to admit I was rooting for the clinching for Tuesday nights game…oh well, will just have to go enjoy a frivolous night at the ballpark.

Timmy MIA….Alex?

http://www.doolittlecruising.blogspot.com MoDoo

I think Timmy is hiding from Wilson’s beard….wow!
Don’t want to know what’s living in there right now!

Hey, I’m a poet and didn’t even know it!

Shannon

Would Timmy pitching tomorrow have anything to do with his absence???

TrainWreck

Hell yes!

Mamaliga

Where’s Lincecum? “Food Poisoning”?

Shannon

Even though it’s technically a meaningless game?

BochyRules

All you on this board who screamed at Bochy, for his use of Belt, or Posey, or Pablo, or Pagan, or Crawford, or Theriot, or the bullpen, the starters….Bochy is what’s up! NL West Champs!

The Giants are what’s up! Stop pretending you know better and start enjoying watching a classic ball club! Bochy is the man, this team has a plan. Enjoy this run.

http://www.thewisdomcow.blogspot.com The Wisdom Cow

Oh, Bochy rules. Now I get it.

pacman68

Petit pitching tomorrow. Where was Timmy all night?

WE NEED ANSWERS!!!!

bullship

Very solid season by the Giants. Adding Pagan (and melky-not sabes fault he took peds)and then trading for Scutaro and Pence…add the emergance of Belt and Crawford…Well Sabean has done a hell of a job.

I think that the Giants will be tough to beat..they have as good a chance as any team this year….really hoping the finish strong, stay healthy and make a goid run towards the WS.

This is a really fun time to be a Giants fan, good team, exciting and good guys as players….

I was there Wednesday night and I have tickets for Tuesday night. I missed clinch night by 72 hours! It’s all good though. Now that they’ve clinched, I wonder what they’ll have in store Tuesday night.

SurfCity

Aw footy, still using the ol’ ‘Surf is a bully’ line.

You’re so cute!

–

Whoo Hoo Giants!

Congrats to Sabean and the entire team.
Congrats to all true Giants Fans who are reveling in this moment.

And double Boo, Hiss to the commenters trying to settle old scores on a night when real fans are celebrating! Boo Hiss — off the boards with ya!

Good night all! Great night for the G-men!

fuddyduddy

for those not using/checking twitter

Henry Schulman ‏@hankschulman

Bochy tells me Lincecum left before the game’s end because he was starting tomorrow. Bochy called him after the game to say Petit was . .

Henry Schulman ‏@hankschulman

. . . going to start, so Lincecum could return for the party, but by then the scene around the park was nuts and he’d have had a hard time..

Sol Rosenberg

Lincecum was in the dugout early in the game. Maybe he just didn’t feel like partying.

fuddyduddy

twitter note continued
Henry Schulman ‏@hankschulman

… getting back in.

South City Jim

Looks like Timmy left early which is normal for a starting pitcher when pitching a day game after a night game. Same reason Zito didn’t partake in Cain’s perfect game celebration.

http://www.doolittlecruising.blogspot.com MoDoo

Dang, I wish I was there tonight! I bet it was rockin’! I still love the “Magic Inside” PR line….on nights like this, so true! Tonight, I will dream of Giant sugar plums dancing in my head. Oh, wait is that weird? Ah, hell who cares!!! Vamanos Gigantes!!

South City Jim

As I mentioned yesterday, no way MadBum pitches that last game against the bums and with Petit going tomorrow, that’s now a forgone conclusion. Don’t have to read between the lines. MadBum pitches game 2.

http://www.thewisdomcow.blogspot.com The Wisdom Cow

I just realized they can stop October Quest. YES!

Pacman 68

Timmy’s with me at O’ Farrel Brothers. We are watching double on the bubble and taking long drags from a bong he made out of a bat.

Enjoy !!!

ostealYOURface

who let the dogs out!!!!????!!!!!
Oooooops. Wrong year.
Padres have been clinched on more than a proctologists’ finger.
Hopefully Crawford got that energy out of his system. A lil giddy in the big moment.
Bring on the alka seltzer,tums,n ginger ale. Go giants.

stanfordfan

Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Giant PITA

Can we just face all LHPs in the post season please?!

Giants vs Lefty starting pitchers to date in 2012:

36-16 (.692) the highest winning percentage in MLB vs LHPs

RadKid

I’m proud of our boys! With all the injuries, suspensions and struggles, we still came on top!! This team is clicking on all cylinders, and whether it’s the Reds or Nats, it doesn’t matter. THIS TEAM, OUR TEAM, IS READY TO GO.

TheWillies

The Nationals putting Strasberg on ice is nuts! Davey Johnson must be dying inside.

ClutchUp

Alex, greay recap. Youwere a big part so far of 2012 as was Carl and Dan Brown. Saw timmy in his hoodie in dugout earlier. Petit starting gets the rotation tweaks started. Tim will start tues. As Lefty and others stated Sabean is exec of the yr. Bochy did a tremendous job with holding things together. No Freddy no Huff No Wilso No Mota for 100, pablo gone twice, timmys worse yr as a pro etc. Great job Boch and Sabes. Great job TEAM. Going tomorrow/today. Peguero and Christian in the OF. Burriss and Whiteside. Petit on the bump…Theriot and the Gang!

bseismic

Wow. Despite Sabean, despite Bochy, they won the division!

I kid of course…That was just a shout out to all the people who will tell their kids, grand kids, about one of the best eras in SF Giants baseball, but fail to mention that they bitched and complained all the way through it.

Go Giants!

Matthew

Folks, you know better than the “where’s Timmy” stuff…

He was scheduled to pitch if they didn’t win, so he came bak after knowing the result. I’m sure he had a great time with his buddies after the cameras were gone.

We shouldn’t act like the small group of journalists we are quick to criticize when they start unconfirmed rumors or start controversies that aren’t real.

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